Altered books

Selected Examples

Charrière,
Gérard. Prison book. ([New York?
: the artist], 1989).

Consists
of an altered book and a tied bundle of newspaper clippings in a wooden cigar
box. The book is a Russian translation of A. J. Cronin’s Citadel, in a library
binding. The artist has cut a large rectangle from the book, through the covers
and text block, and has placed the remaining part of the book in a Royal
Jamaica cigar box; the bundle of newpaper clippings, tied with twine, is placed
in the cavity of the book.

Extra illustrated copy,
with: 23 additional leaves of illustrated plates, some hand colored; 1 ANS: 16
March ’94, 11 Melbury Road, Kensington W., to Maurice Clifford / Luke Fildes,
[2] p., with envelope; two leaves of typewritten text (mimeographed) by Robert
Langdon on the model and location of the novel, with reference to a manuscript
in the Forster Collection; and another publication on the novel. ANS and envelope
are mounted, the remainder bound in.

Additional holograph
title page: The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens ; illustrated by Luke
Fildes ; with additional matter relating to the work. A portrait and autograph
letter of the illustrator, and extra illustrated by plates and by an original
series of topographical water color drawings. London 1970.

"A children’s copy
of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist was recycled and made into pulp. The paper was
not fully macerated, wanting to retain some of the original words and images.
Once hydrated, sheets were formed in 3 1/4 " x 4 1/4" sizes. When
dried, since the paper was industrial newsprint, it was strengthened with
acrylic matte finish"--Label inside accompanying preservation box.

A portion of the spine
of the recycled book is mounted atop a stack of 9 recycled sheets (described
above) as well as a title strip, the whole held together at the center by a
screw and wing nut.

"We started with
leftover sheets from earlier press books by Robin Price [...] Divided into twenty
stacks, we printed new text onto half of them, mostly excerpted from previously
published books (not our own). We shipped out the rest to ten different
artists; working independently they contributed original artwork onto each of
their sheets. On their finished sheets we printed short phrases, culled from
hundreds of esoteric technical notes. [...] Each copy is unique” - Colophon

“Paper maps, gathered
from locations around the world that run along the 43rd parallels form the
background accordion that structurally supports the main text accordion made of
semi-translucent graph paper [...] The pocket and the booklet cover are made of
paper maps, mostly USGS topographic maps and vary throughout the edition
"--Publisher’s advertisement.

Consists of copies of
leaf 181, each of which is torn vertically by the artist, the stubs gradually
increasing in width from the upper to the lower pages so as to form, when the
covers are closed, a text block which resembles a triangle when viewed from top
or bottom.

A modified book,
created as a safe or hiding place for valuables. The text after the title page
has been hollowed out and two small velveteen storage boxes inserted. The edges
of the book were left intact, so that the alteration is not apparent when the
book is closed.

Translator’s autograph
presentation copy, inscribed to Frances Lefevre on t.p. The translator had
drawn a donkey on the t.p. and inked out letters from the title, such that the title
reads: “The poet as ass”.